BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 213 



with a broad band of white ; the extremities of both mandibles are 

 also white; irides scarlet; eyelash and lores pinky-scarlet; feet 

 black " (Gould). Dimensions in mm. : — Length, 1,023; bill, 677; 

 wing, 484; tail, 167; tarsus, 92. 



Female. — Similar in plumage to male. 



Young in Doiun. — ' ' Upper surface light brownish-grey ; under 

 surface white; chin and throat white, changing gradually into the 

 grey tinge of the cheeks ; bill and lores brownish-black ; nail of the 

 bill white ; feet dull greyish-brown ; later on the cygnets get 

 greyish also on the under parts " (B. M. Cat.) 



Nest. — A large open structure composed of aquatic herbage, 

 bark, sticks, &c. ; the lining is usually grass, leaves, a few feathers 

 and a little down. The site generally chosen is on the edge of a 

 swamp among the rank grass. 



Eggs. — Clutch four to six generally; elliptical in shape and 

 coarse in texture ; surface glossy ; dull greenish-white in colour, but 

 soon becoming nest-stained. Dimensions in mm. of a clutch : — (1) 

 115 X 73, (2) 111 X 71, (3) 102 x 65, (4) 106 x 68, (5) 108 x 65, (6) 

 108 X 66. 



Breeding Season. — August to December generally, January 

 sometimes. 



Geogra-phical Distnhutivn.—Taamama, several of the larger 

 islands in Bass Strait, and the whole of Australia. 



Observations. — Shooting begins 1st February, ends 30th June. 

 During certain times of the ypar the Black Swan is extremely 

 plentiful on the East Coast ; then it is that scores fall victims to 

 the guns of " sportsmen " who are concealed in the reeds between 

 the sea and the lagoons frequented by this bird. Among lovers 

 of the gun exists a great diversity of opinion as to whether the 

 Black Swan should be classed as a game bird and shot as such. 

 I have heard keen sportsmen condemn in no measured terms the 

 shooting of this handsome bii^d, and declare they would never 

 think ol eating one. Yet, on the other hand, there are many who 

 consider Swan-shooting fine sport and the bird delicious for table 

 purposes. Almost every shooting season one sees in the press 

 paragraphs recording the exploits of shooting parties who have 

 killed so many hundred Swans in two or three days. What sense 

 there can be in such wholesale slaughter I know not, for the 

 majority of the birds are, too often, left to rot in the reeds. A few 

 years since ajcesultless effort was made to have the Black Swan 

 placed on the totally protected list. 



Not only does it frequent the coastal regions, tidal rivers, and 

 the larger islands in Bass Strait, but it may also be found in 

 small numbers on several of the inland lakes ; this more particu- 

 larly applies to the non-breeding season. I think I am correct in 

 stating that this species is more plentiful about the northern half 

 of the island than the southern. At odd times small parties of 

 this species come some miles up the Tamar towards Launceston. 



